Wes Glon Officially Named Fencing Head Coach

The saga of former fencing coach Emmanuil Kaidanov isn’t over, but Penn State’s fencing program remained elite in the first year following his firing under replacement coach Wes Glon. In fact, Glon was named coach of the year despite an interim tag after the team won its 13th national championship this year under his tutelage.

Now, Glon is the program’s leader for good. The university announced yesterday that Glon’s interim tag is a thing of past.

“Wes Glon is the perfect person to carry on the amazing legacy of Penn State fencing,” said Athletic Director David Joyner in the press release. “He has already won an NCAA Championship and has proven himself to be an accomplished coach. His long history of commitment to Penn State and the student-athlete experience is outstanding. This is an exciting day for Penn State fencing and we very much look forward to having Wes carry on our proud and storied tradition.”

Given the circumstances, this move was expected, but it’s a notable step in the fencing team’s leadership since last year’s strange goings-on. Glon was tabbed to replace the aforementioned Kaidanov following his firing forcontroversial reasons. Since, Kaidanov has filed a lawsuit against Penn State, the outgoing Joyner, and university integrity officer Julie Del Giorno.

“It is an honor to be named the head coach of the most successful fencing program in the country,” Glon said. “I will strive to continue the tradition of success and integrity that the Penn State fencing program is known for nationally. I look forward to the challenges ahead and to the opportunity to continue Penn State’s legacy of success.”

Glon has been with the program for 29 years, so it’s a long time in the making. A native of Poland, he’s built a stacked fencing resume that includes Poland’s highest saber honors six times from 1975-81.